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COVID-19 continues to represent the challenge to Taekwondo (TKD) schools. TKD schools have been closed and faced with decreasing participants due to the Pandemic. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which service quality factors predict member intention for renewal in TKD schools. The target population evaluated for this study consisted of individuals aged at least 18 years or older who had attended a TKD schools. This study conducted for TKD members in the U.S.. A total of 159 participants were recruited via both in-person and online surveys. This study revealed that TKD members in U.S. of various demographic backgrounds had different perceptions of service quality factors that affected their attendance at TKD schools. The findings of this study will indicate the impact on the satisfaction of various TKD programs and maintenance of membership.

Previous studies have indicated that young students who play sports look up to professional athletes and perceive these athletes as their role models. However, empirical studies that examine such perceptions comprehensively have not been conducted. In order to fill this gap in the literature, the current study developed a multi-dimensional scale to measure college student athletes’ attitudes toward professional athlete role models. The eight-factor sports role model scale has 40 items. The results of this study indicate that student athletes observe and emulate the eight dimensions of their sports role model’s behavior on and off the court in order to become like that role model. Such findings support social learning theory in the sport management discipline.

The purpose of the study was to examine how multidimensional event operation quality factors (i.e., game operation, stadium quality, game accessibility, and store operation) would influence perceiv...

This study is to examine the different fan motivation factors existed depending on the level of fan identification. Specifically, this study is to determine if the exposure to brutal violence in MMA as a fan motivation factor had a greater effect on the consumption for low identified fans vs. consumption for high identified MMA fans. The research was looking to test whether exposure to brutal violence was more of a common motivation factor in low identified fans than in high identified fans; where high identified fans had other motivation factors (skill of the fighters and overall interest in the sport). The target population of this study was participants 18 years and over with fan interest in MMA.. The findings of the study only revealed a slight negative correlation between the exposure to brutal violence and low level of fan identification. Results of the study also showed a strong positive correlation between high fan involvement and the motivation factors of skill of the fighters involved and overall interest in the sport.

Purpose This study was conducted to ensure that the selected antecedent concepts, including market demand and psychological factors, were fully focused and studied in detail and depth. The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a theoretical framework that specifies direct and indirect relationships among market demand, perceived benefits, perceived constraint, perceived value, consumer satisfaction and member commitment in martial arts programs. Design/methodology/approach Research participants (n=595) were martial arts school participants, who resided in the USA. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the measurement model and the proposed model was tested by conducting structural equation modeling analyses. Findings Findings of this study indicated that perceived benefits and perceived constraints partially mediated the relationship between the market demand factors and perceived value, which in turn influenced member satisfaction and commitment. Economic Condition Consideration was found to be the most critical predictor of market demand. Originality/value Generating what-to-do and how-to-do implications that were specific to martial arts school and marketing practices were the priority of the investigators of this study. Administrators of martial arts programs may consider adopting the resultant theoretical framework as a general guide in their marketing efforts to recruit and retain program participants.

The purpose of the current study is to identify if the UN resolution for Olympic Truce affects peace around the period of the Olympic Games based on functionalism. Methodologically, this study uses a diverse case technique and compares the two following cases: the first case is the Olympic Games, which did not have the UN resolution for Olympic Truce (The 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics), while the other is the Olympic Games which had the UN resolution for Olympic Truce (The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics). This study determines, firstly, that functional international organizations can actualize their common values (i.e., peace and human rights) and establish world order by cooperating with multiple international organizations, which is more effective than one organization behaving independently. Secondly, through the results, we have confirmed that sports can be an effective mediator in making the world peaceful with unanimous support from the international society.

Purpose By using table tennis as an example and conducting an in-depth investigation into the impact of market demand factors on membership consumption of table tennis club members in the USA, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the opportunities and marketing efforts needed for Asian sports to survive and thrive in North America, in which consumer demand factors assessing core program features of table tennis clubs were found to be very influential of cognitive, affective, and behavioral consumptions of table tennis club members. Design/methodology/approach Through conducting a review of literature, observations of club operations, and interviews of club administrators and club members representing various table tennis clubs, a preliminary questionnaire was formulated for this study. The initial questionnaire was submitted to a panel of five experts, for a test of content validity. By incorporating their suggestions, editing was made to improve a number of the items in the questionnaire. Data collection took place in two national table tennis tournaments, two local tournaments, and six table tennis clubs. Procedures in SPSS 19.0 (SPSS, 2009) and Mplus 5.21 were carried out for data analyses. Findings The findings of this study are that market demand factors would be significantly related to consumer perceived benefits and perceived value, and in turn related to consumer satisfaction of table tennis club membership. The market demand factors had a positive impact on perceived value and benefits confirmed the theoretical framework and previous research findings, which also made a practical sense that a table tennis club needs to offer product features and meet expectations of its current and potential members in order to enhance program value and benefits perceived by its members. Originality/value The past two decades have marked the speediest rise of a globalized sport production and consumption trend. In an era of globalized sport marketplace, sports have become a business commodity to meet the needs of commerce. For an Asian sport to penetrate into the North American marketplace as table tennis has done, it would be wise to develop regional network, strategies, product, and promotions. It is expected that table tennis as a popular Asian sport will continue being spread to other parts of the world; thus, the findings of this study have potential relevance to promoting table tennis globally.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the key factors that affect the formulation of regional strategies for developing and advancing the sport industry in China. Design/methodology/approach Guided by the comparative advantage theory, qualitative and quantitative research procedures were carried out to analyze the variables that were deemed necessary for the development of regional advantages. Findings The findings of this study indicated the importance and relevance of understanding these comparative advantage factors when developing regional strategies for sport development in China or other countries with a developing economy. Research limitations/implications This study was largely exploratory in nature, meaning that future confirmatory studies are necessary in order to solidify the results and to encompass the wide-ranging diversity of the total sport industry. Practical implications The study provided practical implications for other countries to address the needs to discern among varying sectors of the sport industry and prioritize factors that are specific to regions, communities, and local environments in the strategic planning process. Originality/value The findings of this study highlighted the importance and relevance of four comparative advantage factors and the varying sectors of the sport industry variables in the region.

This study aimed to examine the degree to which service quality attributes can predict spectators’ revisit intention and word-of-mouth (WOM). A total of 551 spectators from a Formula One Chinese Grand Prix venue were selected to participate in a survey by using the convenience sampling method. Multiple regression analyses showed that service quality has a significant influence on behavioral intentions. Specifically, five of six service quality attributes (i.e., convenience, facilities, price, game experience, and promotion), had a significant effect on revisit intention, whereas four of six service quality attributes (i.e., convenience, facilities, game experience, and staff) had a significant effect on WOM. This study could suggest sport event marketers to consider functional services including price, location, and designation of the stadium or service place in order to attract more sport audiences.

This study was examined the new money generated from Formula One Grand Prix (F1) and the economic impacts of this new money on the host economy using input–output analysis. We find that the impact of the new money from non-local attendees or international attendees is more pronounced compared to that from local attendees. Also, F1 event appears to influence on sports-related industry as well as other industries such as manufacturing industry. Our findings suggest that the host cities should focus on increasing the non-local and international attendees in order to enhance the economic impacts of a sport event.

We investigated the level of Chinese soccer fans' satisfaction with the development of professional soccer in China on the basis of their attention to, and involvement with, the Chinese Football Association Super League (CSL) and its teams. Research participants (N = 926) were spectators at CSL games who responded to a questionnaire. Results revealed that the attention consumers paid to, and their involvement with, the CSL were negatively related to their satisfaction with the league's operation and marketing. These findings contradict existing theories and beliefs that positive consumer cognition leads to positive consumer affect, indicating the presence of serious issues associated with the CSL administration. The failings of the CSL are discussed.

The experienced constraints of participants in leisure and recreation programs have not been thoroughly investigated; nevertheless, these constraints can influence levels of satisfaction and commitment and the decision to drop out or continue participating. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to examine the extent to which constraints predict member satisfaction and commitment and (b) to examine the relationship between socio-demographic variables and the influence of constraints among martial arts participants. The target population evaluated for this study consisted of individuals aged at least 18 years or older who had attended a martial arts school. A total of 595 participants were recruited through on-site and online test administrations. The findings of this study revealed that martial arts consumers of various socio-demographic backgrounds had different perceptions of constraining factors that affected their attendance at martial arts schools.

The purpose of this study was to modify and revise the Scale of Market Demand for Taekwondo Schools (Kim, Zhang, & Ko, 2009). A questionnaire was developed that consisted of the revised Scale of Market Demand for Taekwondo Schools with seven factors (personal improvement activities, physical environment quality, instruction staff quality, program activities and offerings, cultural learning, locker room provision, and economic condition consideration), member satisfaction and member commitment variables, and demographic variables. Research participants (N = 552) were Taekwondo school participants who resided in the United States and voluntarily participated in the survey study. Conducting confirmatory factor and structural equation model analyses, the revised Scale of Market Demand for Taekwondo Schools with 7 factors and 54 items was found to have good validity and reliability characteristics. Discussion is centered on the theoretical relevance of the conceptual dimensions and their applications in market...

Volunteers are a core component in the operation of mega-sporting events. Pride from being a part of a particular event is an important motive for volunteers to get involved initially, and to return to mega-sporting events. However, previous research has not studied the pride of volunteers after the event. In the current study, volunteer pride was measured after an international mega-event ended and volunteer duties had been completed. The results showed that sport and community identities strongly influenced volunteer pride. However, after volunteer job satisfaction was included, the influence of sport and community identities diminished. The findings suggested that event managers should focus on effective volunteer management as well as volunteer recruitment.

Sporting events not only attract sport participants, spectators, and tourists to the host city, but also increase media attention and create positive impact on a community. Currently, numerous martial arts events (MA) are held in the US. However, scholarly efforts have not been made to understand the spectator profile in MA events. The purpose of this study was to examine the demographic characteristics of US Open Taekwondo event spectators and their perceived event quality and satisfaction by focusing on gender and age segments. The results showed that event quality perceptions vary depending on gender and age groups. Given these results, implications for future study and practice for event managers are discussed.

PurposeSince the introduction of martial arts in the global community through a variety of international sport events, the sport of Taekwondo (TKD) has grown rapidly. Although the magnitude of the TKD market has increased, few systematic studies have been conducted to understand TKD participants, particularly consumer variables associated with TKD events. The rapid growth of TKD as a global cultural product warrants a better understanding of event consumers and their decision‐making processes. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers' quality perceptions and satisfaction by focusing on their sport involvement and identification.Design/methodology/approachResearch respondents (n = 215) were spectators of the 2007 US Open TKD Championship, an annual event held by USA Taekwondo Inc.FindingsResults suggest that identification and involvement positively influence event quality perceptions and satisfaction. Specifically, highly identified fans/competitors are highly satisfied and perceive service quality more positively. This study proceeds to a discussion of theoretical implications and future opportunities for event managers.Originality/valueUntil now, there has not been substantial research on these issues. It is anticipated that the results of this study may enhance the understanding of a particular TKD market in the USA and provide guidance for developing effective marketing strategies and maintaining current event successes. Therefore, the scholarly effort aimed at understanding these issues will make both scientific and practical contributions.

Since the introduction of martial arts in the United States, the sport of Taekwondo (TKD) has rapidly grown and developed. Although the elevated interest in this sport has increased the magnitude of the TKD market, no systematic studies have been conducted to investigate the market demand variables associated with TKD schools in North America. To a great extent, lack of study has been due to the unavailability of a viable measure. The purpose of this study was to identify the dimensions of market demand for TKD schools and develop the Scale of Market Demand Associated with Taekwondo School (SMD-TKD). Research participants (N = 205) were TKD school members who were 18 years and older from 22 TKD schools in major cities of Florida. A factor analysis using principal component extraction and varimax rotation produced six factors with 51 items returned (i.e., Personal Benefits, School Operation, Instruction Quality, Program Offering, Locker Room, and Cultural Learning). Multiples regression analysis revealed that all market demand factors, except for Program Offering and Cultural Learning, were positively (p < .05) predictive of TKD consumption, suggesting that the SMD-TKD is useful for marketing studies on TKD consumers.

Taekwondo (TKD) has seen rapid growth as a universal martial art sport due, in part, to it being an Olympic Games event. TKD has played a very important role in the construction of the image of Korea as a nation brand. This chapter provides an extensive discussion on factors affecting consumer decisions to participate in TKD schools. The suggested factors in this chapter provide specific implications to the marketing of TKD based on the unique characteristics of the TKD market environment. This chapter also illustrates how TKD organizations have maintained a close working relationship with the Korean government to seek financial and human resources support.

This study purported to deepen the understanding of sport consumers' decision-making regarding Asian female sports based on the concepts of market demand and game support programmes. The effects of three aspects of sport events - including game attractiveness, event promotion, and event operation - on consumers' value perception of Asian female sports, revisiting intention, word-of-mouth, and overall consumption frequency were empirically tested. Participants were 677 spectators attending six Asian female professional basketball events. A two-step approach (CFA and SEM) was conducted for data analyses. The CFA revealed that the overall measurement model fit the data reasonably well. In addition, the SEM indicated that the specified structural model exhibited an appropriate model fit, and two latent constructs (game attractiveness and event operation) positively affected participants' perceived value of female sports, which in turn improved their revisiting intention and word-of-mouth. Finally, word-of-mouth was found to increase the overall game consumption level.